Francisco’s practice at 57-18 Woodside Avenue (Google Maps)
May 23, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
A Queens doctor and his patient who allegedly used prisoner names as part of an illegal scheme to buy and sell oxycodone have been busted by the DEA.
Dr. Dalmacio Francisco, 75, of Jamaica and Astoria resident Michael Othman, 48, were arrested Wednesday for the racket which could see them each serve up to 20 years in jail.
Francisco, who operated practices in Woodside and Elmhurst, wrote out prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone for Othman to collect over the past five years, according to the charges filed in federal court.
Francisco’s Woodside practice was located at 57-18 Woodside Av. and his Elmhurst office at 86-15 Queens Blvd.
The prescriptions were made out in Othman’s name and other individuals Othman had recruited as part of the scheme. Francisco also used the names of at least two prisoners to write up prescriptions for the drug, investigators said.
Othman, along with five other unnamed individuals, then used the doctor’s prescriptions to buy the painkillers at various pharmacies throughout Queens.
Francisco wrote out monthly prescriptions for 180 immediate-release oxycodone tablets. Each tablet was 30 milligrams in dosage, investigators said.
The 30mg tablet is the largest dose of immediate-release oxycodone available for sale in the United States and is in high demand by users and abusers of unlawfully obtained opioids, investigators said.
Investigators allege that the scheme continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveillance showed the pair repeatedly meeting at Francisco’s Woodside practice for Othman to pick up oxycodone subscriptions, investigators said.
Altogether, Othman is alleged to have picked up approximately 59 subscriptions from Francisco since April 2015.
Both men were charged with conspiring to distribute with intent, and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone for illegal and non-medical purposes.
Francisco was released on a $250,000 bond and Othman was let go on a $50,000 bond.
Cindy Shebley (Unsplash under creative commons licence)
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